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tmahfan117 t1_j9kmhoy wrote

No, minerals are “a solid, inorganic substance of natural occurrence” so a lot of solids are minerals yes, but not all solids.

Any solids that are organic, like wood, are not minerals.

And any solids that are naturally occurring, like Steel or Bronze, are not minerals.

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ScienceIsSexy420 t1_j9kntpo wrote

Neither steel not bronze are naturally occurring, nor minerals. They are both human made alloys that are not naturally occurring

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Stebanoid t1_j9kpzuq wrote

In geology, mineral must also have crystalline structure. So, obsidian is a natural inorganic rock, but not a mineral, because it's a glass, not a crystal or a bunch of crystals.

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CaitlinN22 OP t1_j9kn6f4 wrote

Can a mineral have different sets of chemical elements in each sample of the same material?

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breckenridgeback t1_j9kovqp wrote

To a point. Some minerals form a series where, for example, you might replace aluminum with magnesium or whatever. But a mineral by definition has to have a specific composition or range of compositions. That's what distinguishes it from a rock (which is a collection of [possibly many different] minerals).

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ScienceIsSexy420 t1_j9ko2x7 wrote

There can be different contaminats in the same mineral, but generally the chemical composition of a mineral is going to be the same in every version of that mineral. If it differs, it's a different mineral.

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Emyrssentry t1_j9koipa wrote

As an example, both sapphires and rubies are the same mineral (corundum) with different impurities that change the color.

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Jimithyashford t1_j9komy6 wrote

Doesn't Organic mean "containing carbon"? So would iron be a mineral but steel not be?

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ScienceIsSexy420 t1_j9kovxq wrote

Correct. Also, steel is a man-made alloy and therefore not naturally occurring. Same with bronze

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